Leaning-wheel grader



Aug'. 7, 1928. 1,679,803

' F. E. ARNDT LEANING WHEEL GRADER Filed 0017.25, 1927 ZSheets-Sheet lgn/vento@ A /lrfzdz @stty/M Aug. 7, 1928.

F. E. ARNDT LEANING-WHEEL GRADER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WMMWNI Filed Oct. 25,1927 Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN E. ARNDT, 0F GALION, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GALION IRON` WORKS &MFG. CO., OF GALION, OHIO, A` CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

LEANING-WHEEL GBADER.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in roadgraders and relates particularly to certain improvements in that typeand construction of leaning wheel grader which forms the matter of myPatent No. 1,655,303, granted January 3, 1928.

In this type and construction of machine, the main framework is soconstructed that it can be swung in the arc of a circle to the right orto the left as may be necessary according to the conditions under whichthe machine vis operating, the machine comprising' generally mainlongitudinally extending beams or frame bars which are pivotally mountedat their rear ends upon link bars which in turn are pivotally connectedat their rear ends to the rear axle, this construction permitting theframework of the machine to beangled to the left or to the right, incontradistinction to that type of grader in which the framework isshifted transversely on thel rear axle.

In the machine in question, namely that which forms the subject-matterof A my y atent above identified, the link bars connectlng the rear endsof the `frame beams to the rear axle, are arranged in true parallelrelation to each other, and in operating this machine, with thisarrangement of parts, I have found that in digging, for example, aright-hand cut, the right-hand rear wheel is inclined to climb the bankand has to be watched rather carefully so that it does not tear the dirtdown into the ditch.

Vith a knowledge of this condition, my 'present invention aims toovercome this tendency, in a simple, efficient, and automatic mannerwhich, generally speaking, consists of setting in one or both of thelink bars as, for example, the left-hand link bar, a predetermineddistance on the rear axle whereby the two link bars, instead'of'beingparallel one to the other, will be set in rearwardly converging relationto each other, and I have found that this convergent disposition of thelink bars accomplishes" a `very important result, namely, the right-handwheel will pivot to the left, that is, towards the road', in making aright-hand cut, andthe lefthand wheel also will pivot towards the road,

which. is exactly what they should do tol accomplish the best results,and Ifhave found that exactly the same loperation will subjecttake placein making a left-hand turn, namely, the rear axle will assume an obliqueangular position relative to the longitudinal axis of the machine or theline of draft, with the rear left-hand wheel in advance of the rightrear wheel, both wheels being pivoted or turned in such position as tocounteract the climbing effect above mentioned.

In order that the invent-ion may be better understood, reference is tobe had to the following detailed description and to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a leaning wheelgrader embodying my improvements,

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is a front view of the grader,

Fig. 4 is a top plan viewlof the rear end portion of the machine, andFigs. 5, 6', and 7, are diagrammatic views illustrating the differentpositions of the rear axle when the grader is traveling along the road,for example, and making righthand and left-hand cuts respectively.

As in my patent hereinbefore referred to, the reference numeral 10 inthe accompanylng drawings designates the longitudinally extendingsupporting beams or channel irons which constitute the main frame of themachine. These beams at their forward ends are mounted upon a bolster 11operatively connected to the front axle 12. yThis front axle is formedof two angle irons and disposed between these angle irons are theknuckles 13, the stubs of which support the forward wheels 14. Theupwardly extendlng rarms of the wheel supporting knuckles 13 areconnected by means of two transversely extending angle irons 15. Both ofthese angle irons supportupon'them arcuate racks 16 vformed upon theirunder faces with rack teeth and engaged by a rear wheel 17 carried upona shaft 18 extending` into a housing 19, this shaft carrying upon itwithin the housing a worm wheel 20 engaged by a worm 21 mounted in anextension of the housing, this'worm forming part of a shaft consistingof sections 22 and 23 extending upward through the transverse bars 25carried on the frame beams 10. This shaft at its upper end carries abeveled gear wheel 26 meshing with a beveled gear wheel 27 ona shaft 28which extends out through'the housing and to the operators platform 30where it is connected to suitable operating means.

lnivoted to the forward ends of the arched frame beams l are the drawbars 3l which carry the usual circle and the blade supporting beams 32to which is operatively connected the mold board or scraper 33.

rlhe rear axle is formed by two transversely extending angle irons 36,spaced from each other and carryingthe knuckles 37 having stubssupporting the rear wheels 38. vThe upwardly extending arms of theknuckles are connected by means of the transverse bars 39 so that asthese bars are shifted in one direction or the other, the wheels will betilted or may be adjusted into vertical position by means later to bedescribed.

'lhe rear axle is connected to the frame bars 'lO by means of link bars40 which are preferably formed of channel iron. Each of these link barsat its forward end is pivotally mounted against a spacing block 4l,through which a bolt 42 passes and which may engage the correspondingbeam lO.

Attached to 'the under face of the rear end of each beam l0 is anangular lip 43, and each of the link bars 40 has mounted upon it amember 44 formed with an arcuate transversely extending channel 45 whichengages the angular lip 43 and prevents any downward movement of thelink bar 40 with reference to the rear end of the main beam 10, butallows the link bar 40 to swing into an angular relation to thecorresponding frame beam l0 without becoming disengaged from the latter.Y

Operatively mounted upon one of the 4beams l0 is a transverselyextending screwthreaded shaft 4G carrying a nut 47. This screw-threadedshaft also carries a beveled gear wheel 43, and mounted in a suitablebracket upon the end of the main frame formed by the beams is a verticaloperating shaft49 which at its llower end carries a beveled gear wheel5() engaging the beveled. gear wheel 43. This operating shaft extends upadjacent the rear end of the operators platform and at its upper endcarries the operating handle 51.

The nut 47 is connected by a link 52 to one of the link bars 40, and asthese bars are each pivotally connected to the rear axle it follows thatas the nut 47 is shifted in one direction or the other, both of the linkbars m/ill be swung in one direction or the other and the frame will beangled or moved to the left or to the right in the arc of ak circle.

For the purpose of canting or leaning the rear wheel l mount upon theconnecting bars 39 the arcuate racks 52, and mount upon the rear axlethe housing 53, wherein is disposed a worm wheel 54, the shaft of whichcarries pinions .55 which engage the racks. A vertical shaft 56 extendsdown through a lateral extension of the housing tilied, the link bars 40are arranged in parallel relation to each other, but in order toaccomplish the important result mentioned herein at the outset of thespecification, it is to be particularly noticed that in the presentconstruction and arrangement of the parts, one of the link bars40 is setinward at its pivotal connection with the rear axle, whereby the twolink bars 40 assume a rearwardly convergent relation one to the other.Vfith this present construction and arrangement, when the framework isangled to the right to make a right-hand cut, the rear axle will beautomaticall swunff vb and u )on thev angling of the frame, to assumeanV oblique angular position relative to the line of draft orlongitudinal axis of the machine, with its right-hand wheel in advanceof its left-hand wheel; and conversely when the frame is angled to makea left-hand cut, the rear axle will assume an oblique angular positionrelative to the line of draft with its left-hand wheel in advance of itsright-hand wheel, the rear wheels being thus pivoted7 in such a manneras to eliminate or preclude any liability of the machine climbing thebank and tearing the dirt down into the ditch.

In the present instance,it is the left-hand link bar 4() which is shownas set in slightly at its point of pivotal connection with the rearaxle, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited tothis particular construction, and that it is within the scope of theinvention as delined by the appended claims for either one or both ofthe link bars 40 to be set inward at the rear ends relative to theirouter ends so as to assume the-con'- vergent relation which willaccomplish the result above specified.

What is claimed, is:

l. A road grading machine having a main frame formed of flexiblyconnected sections and including a rear axle, means for angling the`flexibly connected sections of the main frame, and means forautomatically swinging the rear axle by and upon the angling of theframe to an obliqueY angular position relative tothe longitudinal axisof the machine. l v- 2. A leaning wheel grader including a main frameformed of longitudinally extending beams and link bars pivotallyconnected to the rear,- endsof said beams, and a rear axle to which thelink bars are pivotally connected at their rear ends, said link barsbeing disposed in convergent relation whereby as they are swung to theright or to the left the rear axle will assume an oblique angularposition relative to the longitudinal axis of the machine.

3. A leaning wheel grader including longitudinal frame bars, a rearaxle, link vbars pivotally connected at their forward ends to the framebeams, and at their rear ends to the rear axle, and means for swingingsaid link bars to the right or to the left, said link bars beingdisposed in rearwardly converging relation to each other, for thepurpose specified. Y

4. A leaning wheelgrader including longitudinally extending frame beams,a rear axle, link bars pivotally connecting the rear ends of the framebeams to the rear axle, and means for swinging said link bars laterally,said link bars converging towards the pivots of the rear axle, for thepurpose specified.

5. In a grader of the character described, longitudinallyv extendingframe beams, a rear axle, rearwardly converging link bars p ivotallyconnected to the frame beams and to the rear axle, and means forswinging said link bars to the right or to the left, therebyautomatically swinging the rear axle to an oblique angular positionrelative to the longitudinal axis of the machine.

6. A leaning wheel grader including a framework consisting of flexiblyconnected sections whereby the frame may be angled, a rear axle, andmeans for automatically swinging the rear axle to an oblique angularposition relative to the longitudinal axis of the machine by and uponthe angling of the frame. o

7. In a leaning wheel grader, a framework capable of being angled to theright or to the left, a rear axle, and means for automatically swingingthe rear axle by and upon the angling of the frame to assume a positionvwith its right-hand wheel in advance of its left-hand wheel in making aright-hand cut,

and with its left-hand wheel in advance of its right-hand wheel inmaking a left-hand cut.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

FRANKLIN E. ARNDT.

